Things You Can Learn Under The Cloaks And Daggers of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
There is a reason that Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been billed as a supernatural coming-of-age story. If you take away the blood rituals, the worship of Satan, the magical spells, surprise blindness, and the underground coven of witches, you have a story that is filled with key themes for growing up in this modern age.
From her non-binary friend Susie/Theo, to relationship dramas, to dealing with death and trauma, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has a lot you can lean into, and a lot you can learn under the cloak and dagger too.
Follow your instincts
The story starts with Sabrina being asked to make a commitment that she fully doesn't believe in or isn't sure that she wants, and when she finally does make it, it is because the circumstances have led her to believe it is the only way forward to resolve her situation. Her considerations of her commitment however, is super important to highlight that you should never blindly follow something just because others do, that you should trust your intuition, and that commitments can define the relationships you have with others. If you are every uncomfortable in situations or in promises, it is usually better to follow your gut instincts because it get you into a lot of trouble later if you don't.
Sometimes you can't solve the problem
The world is full of problems of different surmounting turmoil, and while everyone wants to do the best they can to fix their problems, some can't really be solved, and some need to be felt in order to serve them. When Harvey loses his brother in an accident in the mines, Sabrina does everything she can to help him by bringing him back to life, only for Harvey's brother to be forever changed. Sabrina discovers her magical solution only creates more problems and grief and in the end, the best solution is one where Harvey must simply grieve and accept the loss of his brother. This is a hard thing to do, but an important lesson that must be learnt. Some things are devastating, and while it is unfortunate that they happen, they happen for a reason. People need to grow from the bad to get to the good, and so not every problem can be solved.
Learn from your failures
Following on from the idea that not every problem can be solved comes the idea that not every part of your life will lead to success. Many of Sabrina's spells go awry and cause absolute failings on not only her, but her friends, family and even the world. While you're failings will very highly likely NOT impact the world, it is still important to know that failure is an inevitable part of life and that through those failures is where we as humans learn and grow the most. Accept your shortcomings, focus on trying your best and learn from your failures and your successes.
Enjoy life's pleasures
Life is short, and sometimes the little pleasures of our lives need to be enjoyed while we still have time to enjoy them. One of the very crucial elements of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina that I liked was the sex positivity of it all. Witches are seen as free lovers, as shown in their celebration of Lupercalia, as well as the orgy that took place in the attic of Sabrina's home when Prudence was crowned the Queen of the Church for their sacrificial celebration. Sabrina's cousin Ambrose, as well as Prudence and a lot of the witches in the church, are seen as pansexual, meaning they are not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity. These sexual identifiers are all accepted and enjoyed thoroughly throughout the seasons, and it's a great thing to see on TV in this modern age.
